>>5469
and let me tell you that this explanation about the golden years of the fanbase justifies a lot the behavior shown in the routine for any fan. I won´t say that the fanbase doesn´t have its jewels in terms of autism but...

you would know that this fanbase fell into obscurity after those first years of impact, meaning that those public dramas were reduced to dramas inside the community, meaning that the possible cringe has been for the fans alone for the most part. And this is where the differences come in:

Everything falls into the same circles of the community. It is isolated.

Why does this mindset dominate the views of any fan? Well, because trying to explain to any outsider that you like a show of this kind is tedious, annoying and you could put yourself at risk. While it´s true that the vast majority of people won´t care about the tastes of anyone, it´s still an annoyance to explain it and get into a possible (the chances might be low) risky situation because of it, not to mention that the little girls stigma is attached to the franchise because of all the previous decades until gen 4 happened. So from being proud of being to reserve it until the fan gets access to the internet. This is why MLP is widely known on the internet but you barely notice a fan in real life, it has become a private thing to enjoy for those who are interested in it. Sure, one can say to a few friends and even some members of your family can perfectly acknowledge it without a problem, but in public....it´s not like wearing a T-Shirt of Joy Division, Pink Floyd or famous metal bands, nor is it like wearing a Pokemon one (or even Sonic merch).

Even /mlp/ (the supposedly edgiest part of the fanbase) ask themselves questions about revealing their "power level, you compromise yourself unnecessarily and it´s mostly pointless to try to explain how this works.

MLP wouldn´t have had the insane amount of popularity without the internet because it´s the only medium in which your privacy isn´t at risk and you don´t get to reveal your taste to people who surrounds you. It´s like a private little secret. However, this shouldn´t impress anyone because adults have enjoyed girly shows like Sailor Moon,the Powerpuff Girls (Lauren Faust created this one as well) in the past, this shouldn´t be any different but it is because of the stigma. So liking material of this kind is seen in the same way that the word nerd had in the past around the 80s. Everyone wants to become a nerd now and it feels cool but good luck on trying to have this as socially acceptable in an explicit way (you can´t). This context explains why all the inspirations and material stays in the same circles, only those who are fans won´t have those prejudices because those are also having to deal with them as well. Somehow the community feels like a little nation of brothers, despite the possible insults among the groups, both share the same interest and fall under the same circumstances socially speaking. A MLP in an unrelated site to it brings a little smile because it brings some familiarity and warmth that brony knows but others don´t. This happens because of the isolated nature within its community. Do you want to discuss something related to this show or franchise? Well, too bad, you have to be in those fan sites/circle/ groups just to share your thoughts about it, because outsiders could look at you as a "weirdo" (to put a standard word)